Gangnam Festival Wins Pinnacle Award for Second Consecutive Year

Bronze Award in the Hallyu Program Category
Proving the Competitiveness of an Urban K-Culture Festival

The Gangnam Festival, the signature cultural event of Gangnam-gu in Seoul (Mayor Cho Sungmyung), will receive the Bronze Award in the Hallyu Program category at the 19th Pinnacle Awards, held on December 2 in Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. Following last year's Gold Award, this marks the festival's second consecutive year of recognition.

Yeongdong-daero K-Pop Concert. Provided by Gangnam-gu.

The Pinnacle Awards, hosted by the Korea branch of the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA), is a globally prestigious ceremony that selects outstanding festivals worldwide, comprehensively evaluating planning, content composition, operational capabilities, and the level of participant engagement. This year, amid fierce competition among 42 flagship festivals submitted by 29 local governments across the country, the Gangnam Festival was recognized as a highly competitive event.

The 2025 Gangnam Festival, held from September 25 to October 3, featured ten programs under the theme of urban K-culture, including the Yeongdong-daero K-Pop Concert, HEY Gangnam Family Concert, Gangnam Fashion Festa, Gangnam International Peace Marathon, Gourmet Journey, and the K-Culture Zone.

With support from the Korea Tourism Organization's public contest project, the festival utilized 200 million won in government funding for comprehensive domestic and international promotion, attracting approximately 920,000 visitors. Through marketing strategies such as launching ticket package products, corporate collaborations, and local business-linked events, the festival generated an estimated economic impact of around 17.7 billion won.

The Gangnam Festival also demonstrated strong support in terms of resident satisfaction. According to a Gangnam-gu policy satisfaction survey conducted by the National Research & Consulting Group, the "Joyful Festival City" category received a positive rating of 92.6%, with residents selecting the Gangnam Festival as their most preferred event.

Mayor Cho Sungmyung of Gangnam-gu stated, "The Gangnam Festival has solidified its status as a hub of K-culture by being recognized for its competitiveness on the global stage," adding, "We will continue to develop it into a global flagship festival by integrating culture, tourism, and urban branding."